Episode 1910/1911 (20 February 2000)
Synopsis The policewoman tells everyone that there's an unexploded WWII bomb in the Square. However, she first has to break up Phil and Billy. The PC tells Dot she's not allowed to smoke, since the bomb was discovered during gas main works. Those who are in the pub start to worry about their families at home and elsewhere, but are told to stay put because the police will spread the word. Peggy and Frank use the full pub to their advantage by announcing their plans to move to Portugal. Lisa and Phil bicker about her carelessness in getting pregnant, as she was the one supposedly taking precautions. She claims "accident". Phil opines that it seems very convenient. Lisa goes to the ladies and Jamie follows her! Barry and Natalie stage an unwanted revival of the nauseating theme. Dot recalls the Blitz. Steve becomes very nervous and has apparently developed a fear of confined spaces since his stint in prison. He gets a pill out in the gents, but drops it down the sink. He returns to the bar and orders more whisky instead. The PC is about to announce that the bomb has been made safe when there is a huge gas explosion. The electricity goes off. Beppe offers to help PC Monks but she is very cool towards him. She also discovers that a good friend of hers was seriously injured in the blast so becomes less effective in her job. Dot faints and Jim tries to give her a kiss. Billy and Phil resume fighting and Monks handcuffs Phil. She takes him outside and gives him a talking to then lets him go. Mel kindly asks Steve if he's OK. He asks for a quiet place, and she suggests the storeroom, where he sits and starts on an entire bottle of whisky. Ian watches Mel jealously. Then Dan acts pathetic saying that when Peggy leaves, everyone will boycott the pub, and Mel puts her arm around him, and Pauline, who is with Ian, decides to poke her big nose in and tell Melanie what she is and isn't allowed to do. Mel says Pauline can believe what she wants and goes to the ladies, where Lisa is. Pauline follows Mel and whinges about her "flaunting herself" and tells her she's a lying little slut and gives her a slap. Lisa is enraged, and follows Pauline into the crowded bar and tells her exactly why Mel left Ian. Pauline asks Ian if it's true, and his silence proves it is. However, Ian counters that Mel was sleeping with Steve and she admitted it on the wedding day, but he forgave her. Pat helps Mel behind the bar and goes to fetch some mixers, and finds Steve sitting in the dark. Steve tells Pat that he can't bear being locked up anywhere, and asks her to leave. Pat shares her own feelings about prison and having killed someone (her drink driving conviction). Peggy makes sandwiches. Mark helps. Peggy whinges that the new cook hasn't got any food in and blames Dan. Gianni confesses to Beppe that the reason Sandra stayed away and never contacted him was because he told her to, when he met her in passing soon after she left Beppe. Steve comes back from the store room, and Pauline tells the entire pub that Ian only lied because Mel was having an affair with him. Steve says that they weren't and Pauline, instantly believes this version of the story and that Ian is lying again. Pat talks to Frank and knows that he doesn't really want to go to Portugal. Peggy appears and they change the subject hastily. Frank leaves and Pat asks Peggy if she's sure about moving to Portugal. Peggy says her family have gone and Pat says hers did and that made her even more keen to remain near friends. Later, Sonia has a selfish go at Peggy about them giving in to Dan. Beppe chats to PC Monks and discovers the reason for the frosty reception - his sacking. He explains what he did and why - it wasn't for money but that he loved the woman who was killed. This makes PC Monks forgive him. Dot rambles on about the war and Reg Cox being an air raid warden. Dot and Jim do some war songs. Finally, they get the all clear and are let out. Dot suddenly realises that it’s 15 years to the day Reg Cox was killed, and Pauline remarks that she’s probably right, and it was her Arthur that found him. Peggy tells Mark he's reminded her where her home is, and now decides that she doesn't want to move to Portugal after all. They tell Dan, and Frank adds nastily that they'll get Dan out. Dan says no chance, and Frank replies, "Then it's war." Credits Main cast *Craig Fairbrass as Dan *Steve McFadden as Phil *Mike Reid as Frank *Barbara Windsor as Peggy *Lucy Benjamin as Lisa *Jack Ryder as Jamie *Perry Fenwick as Billy *Pam St. Clement as Pat *Martin Kemp as Steve *Race Davies as Jackie *Marc Bannerman as Gianni *Michael Greco as Beppe *Tamzin Outhwaite as Melanie *Adam Woodyatt as Ian *Wendy Richard as Pauline *Todd Carty as Mark *June Brown as Dot *Lucy Speed as Natalie *Shaun Williamson as Barry *John Bardon as Jim *Dean Gaffney as Robbie *Natalie Cassidy as Sonia *Fiona Bell as PC Monks *Paul Bridle as PC Walker Category:Episode Category:2000 Episodes Category:Episodes outside of broadcast patterns Category:Episodes featuring Julia's Theme Category:Hour-long Episodes